Personal and embedded computers today exist in a variety of common form-factors, such as standard towers, desktops, racks, and laptops of various sizes. Computer motherboards and embedded systems are also available as bare circuit board assemblies in some typical form factors such as ATX and PC-104. These systems commonly require an external power adapter or a power supply to operate. Conventional Personal Computers and Embedded systems require a variety of voltages supplied to power the various parts of a product, such as +/−12V, 5V, 3.3V, 1.8V, and 1.5V. These voltages are typically provided by a power supply external to the main circuit board of the product, which takes up space, requires additional cabling and generates heat.
Computer systems are often linked together to provide networked communications. One such method for linking computer systems is to use Ethernet. As a result, many computers and embedded systems are outfitted with Ethernet ports. These ports typically consist of one or more 8-pin RJ-45 connectors. Consequently, most computer systems require an external power supply, a LAN cable for Ethernet connectivity, and desk, floor, or rack space to accommodate the physical computing device.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the various embodiments described herein have been made.